1973 K5 Blazer : The Buildup

Heater Enclosure and Gauge Lighting Done

2009-02-07T11:46:00.001-06:00

What the title says...haha

Quick Update

2009-02-05T16:25:00.002-06:00

Well I have the hardtop on and the engine is running fairly well. Once I get the final stuff on the engine ironed out, I'll get tires and then get ready to start the metalwork. I've decided to set myself a goal to have the majority of the stuff done on the truck: April 4 (Prom Night). So I plan to have the metalwork done, painted, bedlined, new tires, upholstery done, plus some other stuff as well.

Started a Build Thread on CK5.com Forums

2009-01-24T21:25:00.000-06:00

My build thread on CK5 will take precedence over this so I may be slow in posting here from now on.

Tailgate is on

2009-01-24T00:16:00.002-06:00

It's not perfect, but the tailgate is bolted up...mostly. One side wouldn't match up with the holes and still be able to latch so we'll have to do some repair/reorganization on that side to have it bolted up tight. It looks good though and it's awesome to have a tailgate that actually latches and doesn't need to be held by a bungee cord or whatever to stay closed.

Slow and steady wins the race

2009-01-20T17:33:00.002-06:00

Well I'm slowly accomplishing some things on my to do list.

The engine runs great and starts every time, no problem.
The transmission still doesn't want to shift on it's own but that is not a really big deal as I can shift it manually.
The tail and brake lights still don't want to work, but I found some great wiring diagrams in .pdf format on coloradok5.com, so I should hopefully get that figured out pretty soon.
The hardtop still needs a little more fiberglass work, then the prep and paint, and weatherstripping.
I have removed the old tailgate and will hopefully get the new one installed tonight, though the handle, latches, etc. may take longer to get ironed out.
I still need a drivers side front hub, but I may be able to get a complete front d44 axle on the cheap from someone up in the dallas area.
The blower/fan enclosure needs to be trimmed, installed, and sealed so i'll have heat.
I need to decide whether to buy a OE style shifter boot or a universal one for less $$.

Other good news: After removing the tailgate I checked the condition of the infamous tailpan/tailgate support. It is in great shape besides a little surface rust, so that is good news. I plan to order the POR-15 starter kit fairly soon to protect some of these areas that won't be worked on when I begin all the metal fabrication/replacement/mayhem.

Overall I'm very happy, I may not be able to drive it at the moment, but knowing that it will drive if all else fails is an exciting thing. Hopefully I'll post up some pics, and I'm probably about to start a build thread on ck5.com

Still No Progress...This Weekend is booked up

2009-01-16T19:13:00.002-06:00

Well the weather has been crappy so nothing's been done on the truck. I do however have monday off so I will hopefully get the shifting and electrical issues figured out and fixed. I will most likely not go into work until 4 as usual. It's so hard to describe how much I want to be driving my truck this weekend rather than something else.

Anyways, I saw a sweet new Dodge Challenger today at school, and I also noticed that someone at the school is driving a Blazer, though I didn't look to see what year, I know it is '76 or later because of the hardtop lines. Probably a 2WD late '70s or early '80s model.

Progress = Next to Nothing...

2009-01-15T16:59:00.002-06:00

I worked a couple of nights back to diagnose the problem with the turn signals, etc., but still didn't nail down the cause of all the craziness. I'm thinking that I have some bad fuses or relays, but no way to tell until I get some weather that I don't freeze my fingers off trying to work. Anything electrical has always been somewhat frustrating to me (I can fix it with a hammer haha), but I'll get it ironed out eventually. Later on, and I mean later on, I hope I can rewire the whole truck to get rid of all the PO super-crappy rigged stuff. /soapbox

A few last things to do...

2009-01-12T07:25:00.002-06:00

Well the truck runs great, and I only have a couple more items on the list to have it roadworthy and street legal. Transmission still won't shift on it's own, but we've narrowed it down to the vacuum line running from the intake to the modulator on the trans, easy fix. Repairing the taillight wiring is the other task. The split that then goes to each taillight is coming apart and bare wires are shorting out everywhere. I will need to rewire all of that so that I have rear turn signals, brake lights, running lights, and flashers.

I ended up using a custom spark plug wireset so that all of the boots and wires would be as far from the headers as possible and to help organize under the hood. Those yellow wires look sweet. I still have some stuff to do that does not need to be accomplished immediately, but in the near future. No worries, she runs and right now that's all that matters.

Got my baby back...

2009-01-09T13:40:00.002-06:00

Well I drove the truck home during my lunch break, it runs like a scalded dog haha. Transmission isn't shifting right, but I am fairly sure it is only a bad vacuum line. I'm so glad to finally have it running and driveable again. Even if the repairs did cost about $100 more than what I originally thought they would. Still wasn't a bad price for the repairs and the exhaust installed.

In the Shop

2009-01-08T12:01:00.003-06:00

Well I had the truck towed to the shop today and hopefully they will get it running and install the exhaust. I'm so glad to put that engine in someone else's hands because mine have not been the best haha. Anyways today is kinda hectic but if I get my truck back on the road it will be totally worth it.

Giving In...

2009-01-07T23:31:00.004-06:00

Well I got the engine back together, but it still won't crank. It's spraying/backfiring fuel out of the top of the carb at a prodigious rate and doesn't seem to be building compression like it should be. Timing is not 180 out, the firing order is correct, so we're thinking it's the valves but I'm too pissed to deal with it. My dad offered to have it towed to a shop and let someone else do the final tuning, and I seized the chance. So I guess it will go to a shop tomorrow and it had better be running when I get it back, unless that requires major work/$$$, which I would get it back and figure something else out. I'm so tired of screwing with this engine...makes me want to shoot someone multiple times for no reason or wreak destruction on some inanimate objects. We'll see how it goes.

More Progress...

2009-01-04T08:55:00.002-06:00

Well yesterday and probably today will be some of the few warm days I'll get to use during this month and February, so I went out and decided to work on getting the tailgate and rear window seal off of the donor truck. The hard part was working around the Olds 455 Big Block engine and TH400 trans to get to all the screws, some of which were stripped. So with the help of some brute force and a flatbar/crowbar, I got the panel off to get to the latch cables. The weatherstripping is also in great shape, which saves me around $70. Not bad, not bad...

Finally some progress

2008-12-31T10:38:00.003-06:00

Well I went ahead and bit the bullet, the engine is once again a short block and the heads are in the shop to hopefully remedy the exhaust valve problem. We should get those back by monday or tuesday of next week and get that engine running right. I'll use new head and intake gaskets, and get the #1 cylinder to TDC for timing.

In other news, "Santa" brought me a fiberglass repair kit, and I took a stab at fixing the corners of the hardtop yesterday evening. I only worked on one corner, but after an hour and a half of cure time it came out awesome. It's not smooth and even, but it's strong, which is what matters. Fiberglassing is not as hard as I thought it would be. So hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll have the engine running again, the hardtop repaired and painted and on, and all the other small things like heater fan enclosure and battery tray figured out. I'm just glad to be making some progress.

On Hold...

2008-12-15T16:57:00.001-06:00

well the build is on hold until I figure out if the problem with the backfiring and get it fixed. I may end up having to tear into the engine for the 4th time and make sure all the valves are seating correctly. In the mean time I will probably do some work on the hardtop and start strategizing my plan of attack on the floorboard/rocker/rocker box idea.

Running Like A Champ, but "Afterfiring" in the Exhaust...

2008-12-06T15:45:00.002-06:00

We've got the engine running, but for some reason the passenger side is "afterfiring" (i've always called it backfiring), even at idle. We tried adjusting the valves and the timing but couldn't get it to go away. I may just have to run through the whole engine and adjust the valve lash correctly. I love the low compression because it starts up nice and easy. We'll keep working on it and hopefully get exhaust installed before Christmas haha. If all else fails I'll take it to a shop and let them adjust and tune everything.

Another Photo Update!

2008-11-29T23:21:00.004-06:00

In the words of the great Dr. Frankenstein, "It Lives!"

2008-11-29T13:27:00.002-06:00

Well with some help from my dad's friend we got the new engine fired up this morning! Still need to adjust valve lash and do some other stuff as well (like get oil pressure and water temp gauges) However, I'm super excited because I finally got to hear it run hehe.

Engine is Basically Back Together

2008-11-27T09:34:00.002-06:00

I worked last night and got the engine back together except for a few small things like plug wires and fluids, so it'll be crankin soon! Filling up on turkey today so I don't know whether I'll get any work done tonight or not. Happy Thanksgiving!

Elementary My Dear Watson!

2008-11-25T22:30:00.004-06:00

Well we've solved the quandry. My new torque wrench measures inch pounds rather than the foot pounds needed to torque head bolts. Instead of the 35 ft/lbs that should go on the first time through, I was actually putting about 3 ft/lbs, which would explain why there was no clamping pressure. Now that the problem is solved the only thing is putting the engine back together for the last time haha.

In other news, I've decided on a front bumper, and am also going to take a leaf out of another guy's build book to solve my floorboard/rocker boxes/rock sliders/rocker panel problems. I'll use 4"x2" 1/8" wall rectangular tubing and weld everything up like he has, but not put the insane jeep-like lip that his has. I will also anchor it straight to the frame after deleting the rocker boxes. I also want to herculine the bed and tub exactly like what he has done. Check out these pictures from colbystephen's build thread in the CK5 forums:

Nice Huh? Very similar to what I plan to do.

Torn Down...but still no idea what the problem is

2008-11-20T16:49:00.002-06:00

Well we worked Tuesday night with one of my dad's buddies who is the guru of most things engines. We tore the engine back down to the short block for the 2nd time, but there was nothing obvious that we could see was wrong. We did notice that the passenger side head was sealing much much better than the drivers side but there was still some rust in all the cylinders along with coolant. We are checking and rechecking as many avenues as we can for the reason it's not clamping, but none so far have been the problem.

In other news I have finished some CAD renders of the front bumper I would like to build eventually and hopefully I'll post them soon along with some more photos of the truck.

Let Me Fill You In On What Has Gone Down...

2008-11-15T12:57:00.002-06:00

Well I got the engine completely together and attempted to get it started, but because we had estimated TDC on #1, the timing was way off so we gave up for the night. 3 days later, a Sunday afternoon, I tried it again with some help from my experienced engine building neighbor, but we found that the head gaskets were not sealing...at all. We were losing a massive amount of water in every direction. So I took it all back apart back down to the short block and bought a new set of head and intake gaskets, plus fresh engine oil. This past Thursday I worked for about 4 1/2 hours and got it all back together with the head bolts torqued down over spec to try and get the clamping force needed. However all we managed to do was waste time because it only lessened the severity of the leak. Needless to say I was frustrated enough to break something so I left it where it was and haven't touched it since.

I have been weighing the possible solutions and here's what i've come up with so far:

Since both the heads and the block were machined to be supposedly flat and true, I could uses multiple head gaskets or some type of shim to make up for the lost material
Check that the head bolts are not stretched or bottoming out in the blind holes in the block
Check that the ports on the heads and the ports on the block match up for sure
Check that the surfaces of the block and heads are flat, if not try a different set of heads
Have someone who knows what they're talking about look at it and tell me what to do
Yell loudly and beat whatever I can with a large hammer until I have expended my anger.

And now for something completely different:

I have been working on some ideas for a set of custom bumpers I would fabricate myself, but the major decision is to use tube or plate. The tube would most likely be lighter, simpler, and stronger, but would also cost more and require me finding or renting a tubing bender. The plate would be cheaper, more heavy duty, and easy to fabricate with basic cutting and welding skills. So that is the question. I may try to scan or post pictures of some of my renderings of ideas I have...

On the Home Stretch

2008-11-01T11:03:00.002-05:00

Well the engine is in and the new front clip is on. Just a few final things to get done and it'll be ready to start up. Ran into some trouble with mixing '73 and '79 parts on the engine, but a little ingenuity will always conquer that. So here's the rundown:

Alternator & Power Steering Pump Brackets
Fan Shroud
Radiator Hoses and Trans Cooling Lines
Spark Plugs and Wires
Last Header Bolt and Collector/Reducers
Wiring, Lights, and Battery
Prime Oil Pump
Install Distributor
Set Timing
Adjust Vacuum Advance
Fender Trim and Grille
Exhaust

After all that (seems like alot but I don't think it is seeing how far it's gone already), it'll be ready to start up and run (and be street legal). Close enough to taste I think haha

Still need to get new tires, repair/reinforce hardtop, fab up a heater fan enclosure, start metalwork on the other body panels and floorboards, plus some other goodies...

Ready to drop it in

2008-10-25T20:45:00.003-05:00

Well I got the engine ready to drop in but the party that my parents are having proved too distracting when some people I knew showed up. Either way, the engine is poised on the brink, looks like I'll do it tomorrow, seems like I say that alot.

Late Night Wrenching: Rounds 2 & 3

2008-10-23T16:16:00.002-05:00

Well I now have the engine put together...well mostly. I got the head to block alignment dowels on tuesday and worked until about 10:30 that night. Heads, pushrods, rockers, intake, and carb all went on. I'll list out what all is left to do:

Locate (and install as needed): starter, oil filter mount, flexplate, trans dust cover, motor mounts, alternator, battery, distributor, flex fan, headers, radiator

Purchase: Water Pump, Spark plugs and wires, radiator hoses, belts, water outlet, thermostat, oil filter, fuel filter, and the high temp paint. I will pick up some cheap 10w30 oil for the break-in and see if I can find some Grade 8 hardware to replace the core support body mounts.

Probably Order: Fan Spacer Kit, Header Collector/Reducers

I am thinking I may order a set of Edelbrock Signature Series Valve Covers and an Air Cleaner to match my EPS intake and Performer Carb...

The radiator went to the shop today and I hope to have the truck in the exhaust shop Saturday morning. Lots of work ahead...

Progress...

2008-10-19T21:26:00.003-05:00

I still need to post photos, but until then, a brief update on my progress:

I would have had the heads, intake, carb, and most of the other components on the new engine Friday night. However, I noticed that after machining the block lacks the 4 dowel pins that locate the heads and head gaskets. I have a set ordered but they won't be in town til Tuesday because I couldn't find a parts house that had them in stock.

I did accomplish a few other things though: I installed the timing cover, oil pump/pickup/pan, "harmonic balancer", front pulley and fuel pump pushrod. I sorted through all the hardware off both trucks so I will be able to find stuff as I put it all back together. I also finished cutting out the old exhaust and trimmed the housing for the heater fan (still needs a housing to connect it to the hole in the firewall). When we ordered the set of dowel pins today I also got a set of front shocks and installed them while it was easy without the front clip.

The other time I had today was used for damage inspection. I checked out both the condition of the fiberglass hardtop and the sheetmetal that makes up the rockers and floorboards. Both need some serious work...the corners of the hard top need some type of reinforcement and the floorboards, rockers, and rocker boxes are desperate for some reparative surgery. This repair will have to wait until the truck is rolling again with new front clip and engine.

Other news: I have changed my mind on tires, so I'm now seriously considering 33x12.50R15 Super Swamper TrXus Mud Terrains as they are the best for the price and size.

Late Night Wrenching: Round 1

2008-10-17T16:20:00.003-05:00

Well I worked until about midnight last night but I did get the old engine pulled with a little help from my dad. With that done my next task is to finish the new engine, but I still need that torque wrench...

I have some more pics that I will post as soon as an opportunity presents itself...probably.

Two Weeks Later...

2008-10-16T16:50:00.003-05:00

haha 14 days since my last post and relatively nothing has been done...

I have the heads back from the shop ready to go on, the old front clip is off the truck, and i've seen firsthand the result of catastrophic engine failure.

However...the engine is locked up by a piece of the broken rod, so I have to drop the crank and removie the debris before I can spin the engine and disconnect it from the transmission. Not fun to mess with a cast iron crank while it's hanging above you and you're laying on your back right in the path of it's fall (it shouldn't fall...hopefully). If everything cooperates, and it rarely does, then I will have the old engine pulled tonight. I still need a torque wrench if i'm going to continue the engine build on my own...

A Slight Predicament...

2008-10-02T17:14:00.003-05:00

Well I decided to run my truck in the 1/4 mile last Saturday. It ran a 17.84 at 73.29mph, which is extremely surprising for a 2 1/2 ton truck with a 20+ year old engine. Sadly, it seems that the trip down the track was its last...

A knock developed driving home from school on monday, so I refrained from driving it until today. Halfway to school the knock became unbearably loud and was soon joined by the screeching metal-on-metal sound of a main bearing about to seize. I managed to cut the engine and coast off the road before any serious carnage occurred, but I highly doubt that engine will ever start again (without throwing a rod or worse).

So now instead of waiting to do an engine swap at my leisure, I am compelled to accomplish that task asap. Thus, a to-do list for tonight after work:

1. Get truck home
2. Begin Teardown of Engine to remove heads for head job at shop
3. Procure some type of bribe so that my buddies will help me pull an engine

That engine gave all it had in that 1/4 mile run, and ran better then than I would have ever expected it to. Thus its long life ends in glorious accomplishment, having served many long, hard years, and for that I salute it...

Photo Update!

2008-09-22T21:35:00.005-05:00

Now that's a short block...

2008-09-20T21:33:00.002-05:00

Well I stayed up til 3 this morning working on the new engine, we have the short block assembled. Now I have to figure out heads, either I'll use the ones on the truck right now or hopefully get a different set so my truck doesn't have to be off the road for too long. I'm way to excited for all this. After the heads are back from the machine shop, those will be installed along with the intake, distributor, and all the other assorted goodies.

It Starts Tonight...

2008-09-19T20:54:00.003-05:00

Machine work was finished today, and it was cheaper than I had planned on (always a plus). Now I'm gonna work into the night tonight, and get started as soon as my buddy gets over here to help.

Hope all ye scurvy dogs talked like pirates today!

Last Few Parts In The Shop

2008-09-17T21:21:00.002-05:00

Well, the last few parts went to the machine shop yesterday, so hopefully they'll be done before my vacation (courtesy of Ike) ends and I head back to school. I am so freakin ready to have this engine built! Still need to take my truck out to the strip and run it to get a baseline to compare the new powerplant to...and eventually start posting the pictures that I promised in the beginning haha

Let the Build Begin!

2008-09-11T17:31:00.003-05:00

The parts I ordered arrived yesterday, and I was as happy as a kid on christmas morning. Everything looked great except for the vacuum advance adjustment pin on the distributor that was bent during shipping. If it doesn't affect performance or adjustability then I will just use it if not i'll send off for a replacement. Just now found out that the EPS intake is actually a high-rise so that'll look sweet. And the flex fan has stainless blades with a red center hub that looks tight too. Once the pistons are on the rods and the freeze plugs and cam bearings are installed at the shop I'll be ready to put the bottom end together! Even got approval from my dad: "Looks like you're gonna have a nice engine..." You better believe it, a reliable, torquey, monster of an engine! haha

Parts on the way

2008-09-06T12:28:00.003-05:00

I went ahead and ordered the rebuild kit, intake, headers, distributor, flex fan, and harmonic balancer today all at once to save on shipping. The machine shop had to bore the block .030 over, but the crank just needed to be hot tanked. Not a whole lot of parts left to get, just need to put them together haha.

Will still need these for a running engine:

Prepped Radiator
Machined and Prepped Heads
Water and Fuel Pumps
Oil, Air, and Fuel Filters
Plugs and Wires
Thermostat
Various Hoses, Belts, Fittings, and Chemicals

I plan to paint the engine block, heads, timing cover, and valve covers high temp red and then the air cleaner and engine bay flat black.

Then I'll have the header back exhaust installed, I'm planning on 2 1/2" pipe with an H-pipe and FloPro MX-500 series mufflers.

I see the light at the end of the long, long tunnel, can't wait to hear the roar of straight header on that first startup...

At Least It'll Look Good From The Front...

2008-09-01T00:06:00.002-05:00

Prepped and primed all the body panels for the new front clip today. Found out that as far as paint goes, you get what you pay for. Rustoleum Automotive Primer, all I needed was a single coat, had great coverage. So the front end is taken care of, now the doors, tailgate, and rear fenders are the next projects to tackle. Plus I want to do some work on the hardtop... Can't wait for the new (to me) engine and body, the metal work and prep/paint will be the most time consuming, I spent about 6-7 hours today.

Good and Bad News Once Again

2008-08-18T00:43:00.004-05:00

Well I was gone on my camping trip and my dad took all the parts to the machine shop. Can't use the 327 heads because the valves are too small. However we've decided to just use the existing heads on the running engine since we know they run. The engine itself will be built and read for install as soon as the machine work is finished on the heads, providing the least amount of down/off the road time for my daily driver. Overall not a bad deal, still making progress.

"Men, we've made a discovery!"

2008-08-05T16:12:00.002-05:00

Found out yesterday that a buddy of my dad's has an engine hoist (2 actually), so this saturday(or ASAP), I will be pulling the block out of the parts truck, marking the 327 heads and getting both of those things to the machine shop. "Huzzah!" for that. After I find out the diagnosis on that I'll start ordering all the parts and watching for the UPS truck haha.

Logistics, Logistics, Logistics...

2008-08-04T10:47:00.003-05:00

3 weeks until school starts and still lots to do. I need to figure out if I want to go ahead and swap the front clip(yes the whole front clip) before I get the new engine in. I'm in town this week and the week of the 17th and I'll have some days off scattered throughout this time up until the 25th.

There's good news and bad news concerning rust on the body:

Good News - I can switch out the front clip and eliminate the problems there, and the rocker boxes are not in as bad of shape as I thought. I did get angry and rip out the body filler underneath the driver's side door because all it was doing was trapping moisture and more crap.
Bad News - No clue what I'll do to get rear fenders back in shape, the tailgate I want to switch over is latched and I can't get it unlatched, plus the rockers will need some serious work.

Well, other than then engine, getting the body in shape is the most important thing I want to get done. All the fancy stuff(fancy? haha) isn't important as long as the drivetrain and body are intact. Stuff like upholstery, gauges, lift, tires(well tires are slightly important), paint, stereo, etc can wait, the truck doesn't have to have all new of that to run.

**End Transmission**

Get Something Done Today?

2008-08-02T14:16:00.003-05:00

If nothing else interrupts, I will probably disassemble the driver's side front hub after work and figure out why it keeps making noise. May take a look at the places where metalwork is needed and see what can be done without any welding...for now. I plan to trim, patch, and POR-15 where needed and then coat the entire inside of the tub with Herculiner. Also have to assess what will be done to existing fenders, doors, etc. Lots of fun ahead....

Made Some Headway

2008-07-31T22:56:00.002-05:00

Well I had the day off from work and even though I still haven't found an engine hoist/lift, I decided to go ahead and pull the parts of the front clip that I'm using later. Got the core support, passenger fender and wheel well off and cleaned up. Couldn't buy the spray paint I needed to coat them after the cleanup though lol. Oh well, still got to get that block out and to the shop, and decide what i'm doing with heads...

The Funds are Here...

2008-07-29T14:45:00.002-05:00

Well I ran the numbers yesterday and a rough guess-timate puts total cost of the new engine at around $1300-1400. I've got it, but it's not going anywhere until I get this block out. And I don't want to drive out of town to rent one, that's ridiculous.

My parents are willing to pay half on new tires, but that adds about $300-350 to my budget and that I don't have right now. Need to decide which tire to buy as well...I've been leaning towards the Swamper TSL Radial or similar tire, or another set of these BFG All Terrains.

Body work is about the only thing I can be doing that won't cost me lol, but I need time to do that. And then there's the metal work on the tub/rockers to get rid of rust and herculine everything. Then reupholstering the seats, though I do have the material already.

See how the list can grow and quickly become overwhelming?

Gotta find the time...

2008-07-28T09:07:00.002-05:00

Well the block is still sitting in the truck, so close to getting it out if i can find the time and an engine hoist. I might possibly skip out on the week of camping I have planned and just work on my truck and nothing else... I'll still have to tell everyone I'm gone so I can get stuff accomplished haha. Put a Tahiti sign in the front yard or something. So here's the short-short to-do list from now until that week ends:

Get block out
Find another set of heads or have these 327's machined
Diagnose and repair whatever is causing front axle noise
Get some body panels switched and metal work done

If I can get that done I'll be elated, I won't have that kind of time during the school year.

Minor Setback

2008-07-23T14:28:00.002-05:00

Well I got the call I didn't want today: both of the heads I took off this engine were cracked, so they're scrap. Hopefully I can source a set without having to tear down the engine I have running now. I have a set of 327 heads(I think they're 327) that I got for free that may work if they bolt up. This is unexplored territory for me, learning as I go.

The Block Is Ready To Come Out

2008-07-18T23:06:00.002-05:00

Worked this morning and have everything off, just need to take it loose from the motor mounts and transmission. Can't wait to get that baby out and on it's way to being some new ponies under the hood.

Let the Machine Work Begin!

2008-07-16T11:55:00.002-05:00

The heads are off and going to the shop today. Just one thing off a long long list of things to do. Not to worry, instead of being daunted by the tasks, I'm just more excited haha! Looks like it won't take alot of work to get the components in shape for the build: No sign of a previous bore, cylinder walls are still nice and shiny with no excessive wear, heads and valves are in decent shape, and overall the engine was relatively clean. I'm seriously stoked!

Looks Like She's Ready For A New Engine As Well

2008-07-15T13:11:00.002-05:00

Drove to work this morning with no problems, but when I started her up to go to lunch the idle was suprisingly low and rough. Couldn't really figure out why while driving, but a couple of wide-open-throttle punches cleared up the cough lol. Idle smoothed out and responded better, but it looks like my truck is as ready for a new engine as I am. Can't wait...

Oh, and the ride home in the driving rain was lots of fun as well, but she ate up foot and a half deep puddles with ease! I do need some tires with more meat on them though...

Progress, but still no pictures

2008-07-14T12:55:00.003-05:00

Made some progress on the teardown of the engine, hopefully I'll get some more done today. If weather permits I'll take some pictures of both my truck and parts truck.

Here's a rough idea of what will go into the new engine:

Comp Xtreme 4x4 cam
Flattop pistons w/moly rings
Cloyes True Double Roller Timing
FelPro Gaskets
Edelbrock Performer EPS Intake
Edelbrock 600cfm 4bbl Performer Carb w/offroad needles and seats
MSD Street Fire HEI Distributor
Hedman Headers
Flex-a-Lite Stainless Steel Flex Fan
K&N XStream 14" Air Filter Assembly
Proform Valve and Timing Covers
New plugs, wires, water pump, oil pump, and possibly a new oil pan

Trashing the A/C, may run dual alternators/batteries at some point. Radiator off parts truck will be rodded, cleaned, and installed. Then the bodywork and attempt to salvage the current wiring will begin.

First, I need to get this wheel bearing(at least I think it is) fixed, last thing I need to do is lose a wheel while going down the road.

We'll See How This Goes

2008-06-28T13:25:00.003-05:00

I hope that this blog will work for said purpose, to show the slow, but progressive, buildup of my truck. First I will need to steal, I mean, borrow my sister's digital camera and snap some shots of the current ride and the parts truck to give you, the reader, an idea of what stage/condition the build is in. I hereby declare this the inagural post in this blog, and hope for many more to come.